Real Mount and Blade Game

Shen Mu's consciousness sank into an endless, deep blue abyss.

This was neither death nor slumber, but rather a fall into the very source of his existence—a sea of ​​spirit boiling over from excessive consumption and the impact of the laws. The searing pain of the Yenogu curse mark, the backlash from the fragments of abyssal divinity, and the marks left by countless collisions of rules, like billions of red-hot steel needles, repeatedly pierced his shattered soul.

The smoke from the eastern walls of Deherim, the purplish-black light of the Abyss Soul Lord's disintegration, the soldiers' cries of despair and hope... countless fragmented images tumbled and sank in the fragments of consciousness, forming a chaotic vortex.

Just as it was on the verge of complete disappearance, a glimmer of light abruptly illuminated the darkness of the deep sea.

The light did not come from the outside world, but from the most core imprint of his soul—the existence he once called the "Mount & Blade System." But its appearance was completely different now.

The cold data streams, the modular interface, the flashing task prompts... all these superficial aspects of the "system" peel away and dissipate like melting ice, revealing its deep, ancient, and boundless essence.

A stone slab.

It is not a physical entity, but a collection of concepts woven from pure laws, chains of cause and effect, and ineffable spacetime.

It floats at the core of the sea of ​​spirit, exuding an aura of antiquity, vastness, yet containing supreme authority.

Countless mysterious runes flowed and faded on the stone slab, each flash corresponding to the manifestation and change of a world rule. Shen Mu's soul fragments were drawn to this light, like birds returning to their nests, involuntarily merging into it.

In an instant, a torrent of information and insights washed over me, no longer the cold system prompts, but the ultimate truth about "existence" itself, directly imprinted on my soul.

The Slate of Fate.

He understood its name, and he also understood the heavy destiny it carried.

As his understanding deepened, a grand, cruel, yet hopeful picture slowly unfolded in his mind:

He was not a time traveler by chance.

He was the "chosen" bridge, the only buffer and adhesive between two giant ships destined to collide.

The magnificent yet cruel fantasy crystal system he was born from is irreversibly heading towards decay and collapse, like an implosion after a star burns out.

And "Blue Star," his familiar homeland, with its solid physical laws and burgeoning spiritual undercurrents, just happens to form a unique "cradle" capable of bearing the "embers" of the crystal wall system and nurturing new life.

His journey was not an accident, but rather an "escape hatch" jointly created by two endangered worlds under the guidance of unseen laws.

When he arrived here and set foot on this land under the name "Shen Mu", the initial "gap" had already been formed.

The curse of Yenogu, the erosion of the Corpse Sand Sea, the expansion of the Ancestral Tomb vortex, the infiltration of the power of the abyss... all the disasters that seemed to be targeting him were actually the "stress tearing" produced when the laws of two worlds collided fiercely, tested each other, and sought a point of convergence. He, Shen Mu, was both the point of collision and the point of convergence.

The "Mount & Blade system" has never been an external auxiliary tool.

It is a "mimicry" of the Slate of Fate, a protective shell for the dying will of the Crystal Wall System in despair, which peels off, compresses, and disguises its last core law source—the Slate of Fate—and injects it into the soul of this "bridge".

It guided him to fight, grow, establish strongholds, and gather faith... all for one ultimate goal: to achieve final fusion when he, as a "node," is strong enough to withstand the torrent of the laws of the two worlds.

The cursed mark of Yenogu on his palm, the source of the excruciating pain that seared his soul, now took on a completely new form under the illumination of the Slate of Destiny.

It is no longer merely a mark of damage, but... an anchor point, a foundation of divinity. Abyssal divinity, the imprint of order, the power of the end, the mad will of Yenogu, the sacred tree's essence sacrificed by Ysera, the annihilation rules of the Corpse Sands... all the vast and chaotic forces he absorbed, resisted, and fused with were forcibly sorted, tempered, and purified by the Tablet of Fate, like molten iron, continuously poured into this imprint, forging the cornerstone of some supreme being.

Within the walls of Deherim lies the faith born of immigrants from Earth, and countless others from Swadia, Rhodok, Vaegir, Khergit, the Knights of the Holy Tree—soldiers, artisans, civilians…all those who gathered because of him, survived because of him, and whose hope was ignited because of him!
This vast, pure torrent of emotion, imbued with a strong will to survive and a sense of purpose, pierced through the barriers of space and disregarded the boundaries of matter. Like golden rain, it converged from all directions, gently yet powerfully washing over his broken soul and nourishing the "foundation" that was taking shape under the brand.

Every prayer, every hopeful act of labor, every act of courage inspired by the name of "Lord Shenmu," transforms into the purest "firewood," which is then thrown into the invisible furnace.

The searing pain of the curse mark began to undergo a fundamental transformation under the influence of the power of faith.

The pain persisted, but within that pain a sense of power and control, unprecedented and transcendent, arose.

It was as if with a single thought he could make mountains bow down and rivers flow backward.

The divine fire... is being ignited!

In the sea of ​​spirit, with the Yenogu imprint as its core, the Slate of Destiny as its blueprint, and boundless faith as its fuel, a dazzling golden light, containing creation and destruction, order and chaos, encompassing and dominating everything, suddenly bursts forth!
This light instantly dispelled all chaos and darkness, transforming the entire Sea of ​​Spirit into a magnificent golden ocean!

Shen Mu "opened" his eyes.

There were no pupils, only pure golden divine light flowing within.

He saw it.

He saw that Deherem was no longer just a pile of bricks and wood.

What he saw was a dazzling ball of light formed by countless points of faith, the faint glow of the soul emanating from every life in the city, the power of law flowing beneath the runes on the city walls, the manifestation of will forged in the workshops, and the embodiment of hope growing in the wheat fields.

The entire city seemed to come alive, becoming the most solid extension of his divine body into the material world.

He saw the scorched battlefield of the Black Mud Plains, where the remaining demonic blood and rebel remains were laid bare under the divine perspective.

With a slight thought, the scattered metal debris, broken monster shells, and even the mineral veins buried deep underground resonated with him, being drawn, decomposed, and recombined by an invisible force.

He saw the churning purplish-black clouds of the Corruption Swamp and the Ancestral Tomb Vortex. The bottomless vortex, exuding a desperate suction force, revealed its core under the divine light—the most violent and unstable tear point where the laws of the two worlds collided, and also the "drainage outlet" through which the remnants of the Crystal Wall System tried to forcibly pour into Blue Star.

The whispers of the abyss roared within, filled with malice, yet also carrying the dying cries of the crystal wall system.

He saw further afield the fortified fortress of Uxhul, the vigilant watchtower of Alatanhan at the Elune Wall in the Heart of the Forest, the dark clouds over the streets of Balihe… and the vast continent of Blue Star, shrouded in the shadows of the corrupting spirit realm, where countless beings struggled in unknown terror. Their fear, despair, and the last vestiges of hope transformed into invisible threads, flowing into the torrent of faith from Deherim that sustained him.

"Integration...is the only way to be reborn. Conquest...is the only way to save."

A grand, calm voice, devoid of any human emotion yet imbued with boundless will, resounded directly into the depths of the soul of every living being in Deherim.

This sound did not travel through the air, but was a declaration of the law.

Om-! ! !
Lord Deherim's mansion, the council chamber where Shen Mu had briefly rested, along with the entire sturdy obsidian lord's chair, silently turned into the finest dust, scattering in the suddenly illuminated golden pillar of light.

A beam of light shot into the sky, ignoring the thick stone ceiling, piercing through the layers of the castle's main tower, and soaring straight into the leaden sky, tearing the thick clouds apart into a huge golden vortex!

The entirety of Deherim trembled. Not a tremor of destruction, but a resonant tremor of awakening of some grand being, of the breaking of some boundary.

Within the pillar of light, Shen Mu's figure slowly rose.

He was still wearing the same cracked, blood-stained Shadow Dragonscale Armor, but the eerie glow flowing across its surface had been replaced by pure divine golden light.

The broken sword hilt floated beside him, enveloped, repaired, and reshaped by golden light, transforming into a phantom of a long sword with an ancient design and flowing runes of law.

He hovered directly above Deherim Keep, atop the 25-meter-high rune walls, his golden eyes like two miniature suns, overlooking his city, his kingdom, and the world he was about to reshape.

"Lord Lord!"

"A miracle! It's a miracle!" "The supreme being! Our guardian!"

Countless soldiers, craftsmen, and civilians, regardless of where they came from, knelt down involuntarily, amidst the soul-stirring and comforting experience, uttering fervent cheers and prayers.

Points of faith rose from their bodies, brighter, purer, and more powerful than ever before, frantically merging into the pillar of light surrounding Shen Mu. The core generals, including Fatis, Rezarit, Manid, and Altan Khan, felt the immense, boundless pressure and the familiar imprint of will within it, their eyes filled with utter awe and a burning loyalty that followed.

Shen Mu extended his right hand, palm facing upward. The Yenogu curse mark that had brought endless pain now resembled the most precise and powerful energy core, slowly rotating in his palm and emitting a heart-palpitating fluctuation.

"In the name of the Crystal Wall Dream Weaver, we reconstruct."

The serene divine words resounded throughout heaven and earth.

In the castle's military camp, all members of the Holy Tree Knights, regardless of whether they were wounded, were simultaneously enveloped in a soft, holy golden light.

Their fatigue vanished instantly, old wounds healed in a flash, and the sacred tree essence within them, originating from Elder Ysera, was ignited and sublimated by divinity.

Vines and leaf patterns with flowing golden and green light grew on their armor, their lances and longswords were enveloped in pure holy flames, and behind them faintly emerged translucent phantom wings made of pure light and natural energy.

Their aura became ethereal yet powerful, and the intensity of their purifying halo increased exponentially, enough to dispel the corrupt domains of Abyss Lords. They were no longer mortal knights, but "Chosen Ones of Holy Radiance" walking among mortals, the sharpest blades of purification in the Shenmu Divine Kingdom.

The imprint on Shen Mu's palm shone brightly, and an invisible network composed of pure faith and divine laws spread out instantly from Deherim as its center.

This network gently covers the entire city, connecting everyone.

The soldiers felt their fatigue dissipate and their courage increase, as if the weapons in their hands possessed their own will; the craftsmen were divinely inspired as they forged their weapons, and the equipment they created was naturally imbued with a faint divine enchantment; the farmers watched as the wheat seedlings in the fields sprouted and ripened at a speed visible to the naked eye, radiating a rich life force and a faint glow.

In the Blue Star Immigration District of the Western Outer City, Sun Zhiru was trembling violently, feeling a grand yet gentle will descend upon him. He was inspired and immediately led all the immigrants in a more devout prayer. The power of their faith became exceptionally pure, flowing into the network and nourishing everyone in return.

Deherime is no longer just a fortress; it has become a living, self-reinforcing, and divinely driven prototype of a "mobile divine kingdom."

Shen Mu's gaze pierced through space, firmly locking onto the north—the churning black clouds of the Corruption Swamp, and below them, the vortex of the ancestral tomb, like a scar on the world.

The whispers became clear and frantic, filled with curses and a final, desperate will to retaliate against him, the "usurper" and "fire thief."

The power of the abyss gathers behind the vortex, attempting to tear open a larger gap and unleash a more terrifying manifestation of chaos, belonging to the remnants of the crystal wall system's apocalypse, into this world in a final struggle.

"A last stand." Shen Mu's voice was calm, yet carried a sense of judgment. He slowly raised his right hand, the mark bearing his divine status facing the vortex of the ancestral tomb.

"This world and that world, the barriers should be dissolved."

"By my divine authority as the guide, and by the tablet of destiny as the witness!"

"Connected!"

Swish——!!!
A light, indescribable in color and seemingly forcibly fused together from countless fragments of spacetime and fundamental laws, burst forth from the mark in Shen Mu's palm!
The beam of light instantly transcended the barriers of space and struck precisely at the center of the ancestral tomb's vortex!
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a terrifying sound that froze the soul, as if the very foundation of all things was being forcibly torn apart and then stitched back together.

The bottomless, all-devouring vortex of the ancestral tomb underwent a dramatic change under the bombardment of this divine light! The vortex's rotation abruptly stopped, then it was as if it were being violently torn apart and pulled by an invisible giant hand!
The edges of the vortex were forcibly stretched open and fixed!
The chaotic energy turbulence was forcibly straightened and smoothed out by the divine light!
A colossal passage, its edges flowing with golden law runes and its interior filled with ever-changing light and shadow, was forcibly carved out!
At the other end of the passage, instead of endless darkness and devouring, a magnificent yet shattered sky was faintly visible, with burning stars, floating fragments of land, and emanating from it the law fluctuations of another world, filled with an apocalyptic atmosphere yet containing a faint trace of life! The remnants of the fantasy crystal wall system, through this passage forcibly opened and stabilized by Shen Mu with supreme divine power, established for the first time a direct, controllable connection with the Blue Star world, and one absolutely dominated by Shen Mu!

The dark clouds of the Corruption Swamp emitted a mournful shriek, and countless demonic shadows, formed from abyssal resentment and remnants of the crystal wall system, attempted to rush towards the passage to prevent this ultimate fusion.

However, the golden runes of law flowing along the edge of the passage suddenly lit up, forming an insurmountable sacred barrier.

Any demonic shadow that touched the barrier turned to ashes in silent wails.

Shen Mu opened up a one-way street, a passage that only allows the "embers" of the crystal wall system to be selected and purified, and to be integrated into the new life of Blue Star under the guidance of divine radiance.

Shen Mu stood suspended within the pillar of light, his golden divine eyes calmly gazing at the magnificent passage connecting the two worlds.

He could clearly sense that the massive, chaotic, and nearly collapsing remnants of the crystal wall system at the other end of the passage were now like a vast ocean that had found its only outlet. The laws, energy, and even the remaining matter and life information contained within it began to slowly flow, permeate, and merge into the Blue Star world in a relatively controllable way, but still requiring his continuous guidance and purification.

Under the divine light, the runes on the walls of Deherim flowed on their own, becoming more resilient and even beginning to slowly "grow" and expand outwards.

The land outside the city, which was originally corrupted or barren, has been given a new lease on life under the combined nourishment of divine radiation and crystal wall energy, and is now imbued with a strange vitality that is unprecedented and combines the characteristics of multiple laws.

The soldiers and civilians within the city, bathed in the dual baptism of divine light and fused energy, underwent subtle and profound evolution and adaptation in both body and spirit.

He lowered his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over his people who were prostrate on the ground, looking up at him with fanatical eyes.

Fatis, Rezarit, Manid, Altan Khan, Sun Zhiru... their loyalty and faith have now become one of the most solid foundations supporting the operation of divinity.

The steel army forged by miracles that stood solemnly outside the city, the knightly order shining with holy light, and every soul in the city connected by the network of faith were all extensions of his will, the legions he led to carry out this great work of salvation.

"The real war has never ended." Shen Mu's voice resounded once again in the hearts of every believer, calm yet containing supreme majesty and unquestionable resolve. "The howls of the abyss and the wails of the crystal walls will fall silent under my radiance. The rebirth of this world begins at my feet and is completed in my hands."

He slowly raised the sword of law, reshaped from a broken sword, its tip pointing towards the magnificent passage connecting the two worlds, towards the shattered and dangerous remnants of the crystal wall system at the other end of the passage, and also towards the vast and unknown future continent of Blue Star.

"My Legion!"

The Iron God Army roared with a unified, sky-shattering metallic boom! The Holy Light Knights raised their weapons, burning with holy flames, their light soaring into the heavens! Within the city of Deherim, all soldiers, craftsmen, and civilians shouted in unison, their faith converging like a tsunami!

"Target--"

Shen Mu's divine voice was like a clarion call that cleaved the heavens and the earth, containing the authority to rule over all things and the will to create a new era:

"Purify the remnants of the other world, heal the wounds of this world, and connect the laws of the two worlds!"

"Starting from Deherim, guided by my divine light..."

"The road to conquest begins now!"

The moment the divine oracle fell, the torrent of steel took its first step, shaking the earth. The Holy Knights spread their wings of light and soared into the sky. The floating turrets of the Eye of Judgment charged up their thousands of cannons, aiming directly at the churning apocalyptic scene at the other end of the passage.

The golden pillar of light still pierced through heaven and earth, and Shen Mu's figure stood atop the pillar of light, like an eternal throne forged at the boundary of the world.

The divine mark on his palm resonated with the core of the passage in the distance, continuously drawing upon the immense power generated by the collision and fusion of the two worlds, and transforming it into an inexhaustible source for maintaining the passage, purifying energy, strengthening the legion, and nourishing believers.

The crystal walls are merging, and the laws are being rewritten.

Shen Mu, the Crystal Wall Dream Weaver who used a mortal body as a furnace, fate as an anvil, and divine fire as a forging, stood at the forefront where storms and rebirth intertwined, wielding the sword of law.

His conquest was a conquest of chaos; his salvation was a salvation of all surviving beings in both worlds.

The supreme divine throne is no longer a mere formality; it is being slowly forged in this boiling furnace of time and space as his will extends, as his divine kingdom expands, and as the laws of the two realms are ultimately unified.

Deherim, a city forged in blood and fire, illuminated by faith, and elevated by divine power, also radiates countless rays of light.

The unification of the world began at this moment. (End of Chapter)